Saint Mary’s Gaels vs Oregon State Beavers Picks and Predictions March 1st 2025

No. 23 Saint Mary’s Ready for Senior Night vs. Oregon State

Mitchell Saxen has already made history at No. 23 Saint Mary’s, playing in a school-record 151 career games. But game No. 152 promises to be even more special.

The 6-foot-10 center will take the floor for the final time at University Credit Union Pavilion as the Gaels host Oregon State in West Coast Conference play on Saturday night in Moraga, Calif..

Saxen, along with fellow seniors Augustas Marciulionis and Luke Barrett, will be honored in pregame Senior Night festivities before Saint Mary’s (26-4, 16-1 WCC) aims for its seventh straight victory.

Saxen’s Journey: From Bench Player to Defensive Star

Saxen has been a cornerstone of Saint Mary’s success over the past three seasons, after not starting a single game in his first two years.

Now, the reigning WCC Defensive Player of the Year is poised to repeat the honor, leading the Gaels in blocks (38) while ranking second in steals (40).

“I didn’t go in with any expectations of ever being a starter, the guy that’s relied upon,” Saxen said. “I just wanted to be as good as I could be and just to maximize every day. And when you do that in this program, it pays off.”

Averaging 10.3 points and 7.9 rebounds this season, Saxen has been a consistent force in the paint.

Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett has long praised Saxen’s impact, noting that his presence has helped lead the Gaels to another winning season.

“People don’t realize how good he is, but for some reason, he keeps ending up on a team that wins a lot of games,” Bennett said.

Gaels Look to Complete Season Sweep of Oregon State

Saint Mary’s is coming off a gritty 58-55 road win over Loyola Marymount on Thursday, a game in which Paulius Murauskas delivered a dominant 18-point, 12-rebound performance for his 12th double-double of the season.

While the Gaels struggled offensively in that game, they will look to put forth a stronger effort against Oregon State (20-10, 10-7 WCC).

Saint Mary’s already owns a 63-49 win over the Beavers in Corvallis on Feb. 8. In that matchup, Marciulionis starred with 18 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and four steals.

Beavers Aim to Bounce Back From Tough Loss

Oregon State saw its three-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in heartbreaking fashion.

The Beavers fell 74-72 to San Francisco after Veniamin Abosi hit a game-winning three-pointer with 7.9 seconds left.

Parsa Fallah led the way for Oregon State with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting, including a last-second attempt that initially appeared to force overtime. However, after a video review, officials ruled the shot came after the buzzer, sealing the loss.

Despite the setback, Oregon State has reached 20 wins for just the third time in 35 seasons under coach Wayne Tinkle.

“It certainly does (mean something),” Tinkle said. “Over the years, it has changed a little but 20 wins … especially for us, adding nine new players and getting to 20 wins is certainly a great mark.”

What’s at Stake?

For Saint Mary’s, Saturday’s game is about more than just Senior Night—it’s about fine-tuning for the postseason. The Gaels have already secured the WCC regular-season title, but with March Madness approaching, they’ll be looking to stay sharp.

For Oregon State, the goal is to rebound from Thursday’s crushing loss and prove they can compete against top-tier competition heading into the conference tournament.

With emotions running high for Senior Night, expect a hard-fought battle as the Gaels look to close out the regular season on a high note.